Police Investigate Threats Against Mosque Imam

NEW YORK (AP) — The wife of the imam planning an Islamic community center by Ground Zero said she and her husband have received death threats.

Daisy Khan said Sunday that her life and that of her husband, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf were “under threat.”

Police confirm telephone threats were made.

Khan was part of a wide-ranging discussion of Islam broadcast on ABC’s “This Week.”

She also said that moderate Muslims like herself must lead the fight against extremists in their religion, but that if moderate Muslims are branded as extremists, they will be thrown into the arms of al-Qaida.

The developer of the Islamic center has released preliminary sketches of the 16-story planned structure. Sharif El-Gamal said groundbreaking was probably two to three years away.

Opponents said the center should be farther away from where Islamic extremists destroyed the World Trade Center on September 11. Supporters said religious freedom should be protected.

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